The Chicago Bears have a very talented roster heading into 2024 and are absolutely loaded at the skill positions. Everyone is focusing on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and his dynamic playmakers, and that’s understandable. After all, pizazz sells.
There is an awful lot of hype surrounding Chicago with the 2024 campaign approaching, so much so that some are even labeling the Bears as Super Bowl contenders. That is probably a bit overzealous given the competition and because Williams is still just a rookie, but that’s just impressive Chicago’s roster looks.
Aside from Williams and the flashy stars, the Bears also have some hidden gems on their squad that will play a pivotal role if the team wants to make the playoffs this coming season.
Here are a couple of names you should become familiar with before September.
Gerald Everett, tight end
Chicago Bears tight end Gerald Everett (14) looks on during the team's minicamp at Halas Hall. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears already had a very impressive young tight end before adding Gerald Everett this offseason. His name is Cole Kmet, and he will definitely be the No. 1 tight end on Chicago’s depth chart in 2024. After all, he hauled in 73 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns last year.
But Everett will definitely have a role.
The Bears signed Everett in free agency, but because of all of the other moves they made (like drafting Williams, trading for Keenan Allen and signing D’Andre Swift), no one is really talking about it. But the Windy City faithful may start appreciating Everett before long.
Everett has never been a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end, but he has always been solid. He spent the 2023 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers and caught 51 passes for 411 yards and three scores. The season prior, he snared 58 balls for 555 yards and four touchdowns in what represents his best effort to date.
So, the 29-year-old has proven that he can be a decent weapon in the aerial attack.
Will he get the same amount of targets in Chicago? It remains to be seen. Again, the Bears are absolutely teeming with pass-catchers, ranging from Allen to Kmet to DJ Moore. Then there is rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze, who may end up becoming the club’s No. 1 receiver within the next couple of years.
Obviously, Everett has a lot of competition to contend with.
But that doesn’t mean Chicago won’t utilize him.
The Bears may end up deploying a lot of dual tight end sets for Williams, similar to the way the Baltimore Ravens do for Lamar Jackson. That will provide Williams with a couple of big targets in Kmet and Everett when he decides to scramble out of the pocket.
Everett won’t be catching 70 passes like Kmet, but look for him to become a rather integral part of Chicago’s offense in 2024.
Tyrique Stevenson, cornerback
Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (29) celebrates after a fumble recovery against the Detroit Lions in the third quarter at Ford Field. Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
Jaylon Johnson gets all of the attention in the Bears’ secondary, and perhaps rightfully so. He made the Pro Bowl this past season and ultimately parlayed his efforts into a four-year, $76 million contract extension with the club.
But thanks to all of the hoopla surrounding Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson has been largely ignored.
Chicago selected Stevenson in the second round of the NFL Draft last spring. He ended up starting 16 games for the Bears, registering 86 tackles, four interceptions, a couple of forced fumbles and 16 passes defended. He got better and better as his rookie campaign progressed, and by the end of the season, he was showing signs of being a lockdown cornerback.
In spite of all of that, not many people outside of Chicago are aware that Stevenson even exists. Sure, NFL experts obviously know of him, but the casual fan is likely to elicit a “who?” when his name is mentioned.
We’ll see how long that lasts.
The Bears’ defense isn’t fantastic by any means. They completely lack a pass rush outside of Montez Sweat, which could end up posing significant problems for the squad. However, Chicago’s defense was at least respectable in 2023 primarily because of its secondary, and that was largely due to the cornerback play of Johnson and Stevenson.
Expect Stevenson to look even better in 2024 and comprise one of the league’s best cornerback tandems along with Johnson.
